Snowshill Manor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snowshill Manor |
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Snowshill Manor from the front
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| Location | 52°00′10″N 1°51′38″W / 52.0029°N 1.8605°W |
| Built | Late 16th Century |
| Restored | 1919 |
| Restored by | Charles Wade |
| Owner | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Snowshill Manor | |
| Designated | 4 July 1960 |
| Reference no. | 1340081 |
| Official name: Snowshill Manor | |
| Designated | 28 February 1986 |
| Reference no. | 1000781 |
Snowshill Manor is a special old house in the village of Snowshill, Gloucestershire, England. It's owned by the National Trust, a charity that looks after historic places. This house was built in the 1500s. It's famous because of a unique man named Charles Paget Wade who owned it in the 1900s. He was a bit unusual and loved collecting all sorts of interesting things! He gathered so many items that the house became a home for his amazing collection. In 1951, he gave the house and everything inside to the National Trust, so people can still visit and see his treasures today.
Contents
The Manor House: A Cotswold Gem
Snowshill Manor is a classic Cotswold manor house. It's built from local stone, which gives it a beautiful, natural look. The main part of the house was built in the 1500s. It's considered a very important historical building, called a Grade II* listed building, since July 4, 1960. Other old buildings on the property are also protected. These include the brewhouse, a dovecote (a home for pigeons), some garden buildings, and even the old walls and gateposts.
A Journey Through Time: Snowshill's History
Early Days: From Abbey to King
The story of Snowshill Manor goes way back! In the year 821, King Coenwulf of Mercia gave Snowshill Manor to Winchcombe Abbey, a religious community. Later, in 1086, the village and Manor were written about in the Domesday Book. This was a huge survey ordered by King William the Conqueror. The book listed Snowshill as "Snawesille," belonging to the Abbey of Saint Mary of Winchcombe. The Manor stayed with the Abbey for many years. But then, in 1539, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, King Henry VIII took it for himself. In 1543, he even included the Manor as a gift to his last queen, Catherine Parr.
Building and Changing Over Centuries
The oldest parts of the Manor that we can still see today were built around 1550. These rooms are now known by names like Dragon, Nadir, Ann's, Music, and Seraphim. It's thought that this part of the house was once connected to another building that was later taken down. In the 1600s, the Manor was made even bigger, with new rooms added and attic spaces created.
Around 1720, a man named William Sambach owned the house. He added more rooms and a new main door on the south side. Above this door, you can still see the Sambach family's coat of arms. After Sambach, the Manor had several different owners. For about 150 years, it was rented out to farmers. Then, in 1919, Charles Paget Wade bought it.
Charles Wade: The Collector's Home
Charles Wade was a very interesting person. He was an architect, an artist-craftsman, a collector, and a poet. He inherited money, which allowed him to follow his passions. When he bought Snowshill Manor, he decided to restore it. But instead of living in the main house, he chose to live in a small cottage in the garden. He used the Manor house itself to store his incredible collection of objects. By the time he passed away, he had gathered over 22,000 items! In 1951, he gave the entire property and all its contents to the National Trust, so everyone could enjoy his unique collection.
Charles Wade's Amazing Collections
The house is filled with thousands of different objects, all collected by Charles Paget Wade. His motto was "Let nothing perish," meaning he wanted to save and keep interesting things. His collection is truly "eclectic," which means it includes a wide variety of things that don't seem to go together at first glance.
What You Can See in the Collection
From 1900 until 1951, Charles Wade collected items that showed his interest in craftsmanship – things made by skilled hands. Today, seeing his collection is one of the main reasons people visit Snowshill Manor. You can find 26 suits of Japanese samurai armour from the 1600s and 1800s! There are also bicycles, toys, musical instruments, and so much more. It's like a giant treasure chest of history and art.
The Priest's House: Wade's Home
As mentioned, Charles Wade was quite an unusual person. He chose to live in a smaller building called the Priest's House, while the main Manor house was dedicated to his collections. Some people say the Priest's House is haunted! There are stories of a monk's ghost and the ghost of a young woman. The legend says she was forced to marry against her will in one of the upstairs rooms in 1604.
The Beautiful Gardens
The gardens at Snowshill are just as special as the house. Charles Wade designed them himself, working with an architect named M. H. Baillie Scott. They created the gardens between 1920 and 1923. The design makes the garden feel like a series of outdoor rooms, almost like an extension of the house itself.
Features of the Garden
You'll find lovely terraces and peaceful ponds in the garden. Wade loved playing with colors and scents, and you can see this in the way the plants are arranged. Besides the formal flower beds, the gardens also have an ancient dovecote, a charming model village, a kitchen garden where food was grown, and orchards with fruit trees. There are even small fields where sheep graze!
